Newton's Second Law: F = ma

Lab Brief #1

🎯 Your mission

Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.

⚡ The twist

Speed isn't the same as force. Don't mix them up.

What you'll learn

Newton's second law says that force equals mass times acceleration (F = ma). A heavier object needs more force to accelerate at the same rate as a lighter one.

Key words

acceleration
How quickly an object speeds up, slows down, or changes direction.
force
A push or pull that can make an object move or stop.
Newton
A unit that measures how much force is pushing or pulling something.

Make a hypothesis first

Guess: where does the energy go?

Say your guess out loud — then find out if you were right.

Get ready

🧰 What you need

string

⚠️ Safety first

Small parts and balloon fragments are a choking hazard — keep them away from young children.

Step 1 of 4 · Read

Look at the vocabulary words and write a definition for each in your own words.

Step 2 of 4 · Do

Test Newton's Third Law: blow up a balloon, attach it to a straw on a string, and release. Measure how far it travels with different amounts of air.

Step 3 of 4 · Observe

Compare the before and after states.

Step 4 of 4 · Record

Write your conclusion: did the results match your hypothesis? What would you change next time?

Question 1 of 3

What does Newton's third law state?

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Question 2 of 3

What unit is force measured in?

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Question 3 of 3

What causes an object to accelerate?

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Mind = blown

⚡ Static electricity is the same physics as lightning, just smaller.

Nice work!

You got 0 of 3 right.

Next: Speed, Velocity, and Acceleration All lessons

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✨ More to explore

🌍 Where you see this in real life: This is why airplanes can fly and why rockets reach space.

🏆 Stretch challenge (try it this week): This week, find one thing in your house that turns one kind of energy into another.

👨‍👩‍👧 For the dinner table: “Show me something at home that uses this kind of energy.”

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